Nutrition News: Keys to a healthy heart

Monday

Feb 10, 2014 at 11:50 AMFeb 12, 2014 at 12:28 PM

By Charlyn FargoCreators Syndicate

Smart eating and staying active are still the best strategies for reducing cardiovascular risk. That’s the basis of new guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. The two groups also came out with new guidelines for statin use, but somehow the effectiveness of lifestyle changes got lost. February is designated American Heart Month, so there’s no better time to get started.

Here are six keys to cardiovascular health, from the authors of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter:

4. Reduce percent of calories from trans fat. Trans fats are found in commercial baked goods, fried foods and processed or packaged foods.

5. Lower sodium intake. For most of us, the majority of dietary sodium doesn’t come from the salt shaker. It comes from salt added to processed or restaurant food. Consume no more than 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

6. Engage in aerobic physical activity. Try for three to four sessions a week, lasting on average 40 minutes per session and involving moderate-to-vigorous intensity.

The bottom line is that diet and exercise really can make a difference in your cardiovascular health. Make small changes at first that can become healthy habits.

Q and A

Q: Is it better to eat fruit before, during or after a meal?

A: It does not matter. There are all sorts of oddball “food combining” notions espoused in books, articles and on the Internet, claiming that it’s vital to eat foods in certain orders or combinations. One common recommendation is to always eat fruits raw and not in combination with other foods, because otherwise they will ferment, “rot” and “turn toxic” in the stomach. There’s no evidence to support such contentions. The human digestive system handles all sorts of food combinations very efficiently. Fruit is nutritious, raw or cooked, and is readily digested, whether alone or in combination with other foods.

— Information courtesy of the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter

Recipe

This recipe for Orange-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops is a great winter warm-up. The citrus flavors from fresh orange juice and fresh lime juice blend well with the pork. It’s high in protein, low in fat and carbohydrates.

ORANGE-MUSTARD GLAZED PORK CHOPS

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)

• 2 T orange marmalade

• 1 T whole-grain mustard

• 4 (6-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops (1-inch-thick)

• 1/4 t kosher salt

• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

• 2 rosemary sprigs

• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

• 2 T fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine juice, marmalade and mustard in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until syrupy.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn pork; add rosemary and onion to pan. Pour juice mixture over pork; bake at 425 F for 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140 F. Place onion and rosemary on a platter.